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Introduction:

If you read finance news, blogs, and books, you probably get the same message again and again: you are told to quit spending frivolously, start spending frugally, and save for retirement. While I agree with all of those points, I am not going to preach to the choir about the benefits of stopping the Starbucks habit and increasing your 401(k) contribution. We all know that part of personal finance. If you want to succeed in those parts, you already know what to do.

This book is about making the process of tracking your finances easier. I have accounts at roughly a dozen financial institutions. I have online account access at all of them. Fortunately for me, I only need one login to check in on all of them.

In all of those accounts, I have a lot of wealth and debt to keep track of. It is important to be able to quickly take a look at a list of what I have. Just like a business, every person needs to have adequate liquidity to pay for his cost of living and cover the bills. I update that list once a month and can quickly look it up from any computer in the world.

I have loans. Loans are a normal part of a person’s finances. I used a loan to buy my car, which is now paid off. I used loans to get my MBA, which I am aggressively paying. I just got a new loan to buy a home. A loan means leverage. Living debt free is a good idea but is not always practical or possible. What is practical is paying low interest rates and managing your credit wisely. I check out my credit report three times a year for free. FreeCreditReport.com is a scam. I get a real free credit report. By the end of this book, you will too.

I check my credit score regularly. That three digit number is used by banks and other lenders to decide how much you pay for a loan. A 1% rate change could mean thousands of dollars over the life of a long-term loan. Unlike most people, I get that score for free.

I have never made a late payment in my life–not once. I like to pay early and have never missed the due date. I have never missed a bill. I have never missed a payment. I do not have a great memory; my ex-girlfriends can attest to that. I just set things on autopilot.

The great part is that I am not special. I like to think that I am really smart, but I am no better than you. My finances work so well because my system is easy to setup and simple to maintain. I am going to share this system with you over the following pages. This system will simplify your financial life, and do it without spending any money. You don’t need a financial planner. If you set up the system as you read along, you are doing yourself one of the biggest favors of your life.

And now, in this second edition, I have scoured the web yet again to find you the newest and best finance tools. I have removed the old, added the new, and worked hard to make sure you can conquer your financial goals.